Finally got around to replacing the cover panel for the A/C unitl access. I blew off going down the highway somewhere. I just used sheet metal I had onhand.
Fortunately the piano hinge was still on the truck (actually, it had fallen down behind the cab and wedged near the hydraulic pump) and I suspect that the panel tore away and the hinge was saved by a single rivet that finally gave way).
I still need to weld a couple small bolts onto the frame at the base, drill a couple holes in the panel, and secure it with wingnuts. Or given that it's rarely ever accessed, I may just bolt it shut.
M1079 owners who still have the panel (I see more trucks that don't than who do) you might want to come up with a better solution tha the two little OEM pressure/flip latches. A good gust of head-wind can pop them open easily.
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